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DDP Shipping | Argentina Shipping

Door to door, duties included

DDP Shipping

Door-to-door delivery with duties and taxes handled as part of the service — you receive the cargo, not a paperwork problem.

At a glance

What is included

DDP — Delivered Duty Paid — means the price you are quoted covers everything to your door: ocean or air freight, export clearance, Argentine import clearance, customs duty, IVA, the 3% statistical tax and inland delivery. You receive the cargo and a single invoice, with no customs paperwork on your side.

What DDP does not do is change who is legally the importer of record. That stays with whoever is named on the import declaration. If a service promises to “make the customs problem disappear”, the right question is who is named as importer on the declaration — because that is the party carrying the compliance risk if the NCM classification or valuation is later challenged.

  • Collection from your factory or warehouse in China
  • Customs clearance and import formalities included
  • Delivery to your door anywhere in Argentina
  • Single consolidated freight invoice

Best for: importers who want a single supplier and no customs surprises.

What is included

A DDP quote covers the entire chain from your supplier’s door to your address in Argentina. That is the point of the term: one number, one counterparty, no surprise invoices arriving after the cargo. The line items below are what a complete DDP quote must contain — if a quote omits any of them, it is not DDP.

  • Ocean or air freight plus origin charges
  • Export declaration in China
  • Argentine import declaration and despachante fees
  • Customs duty by NCM, IVA 21%, 3% statistical tax
  • Port or airport handling, transport and last-mile delivery

What is not included, and why we say so

Some costs genuinely cannot be fixed in advance. Demurrage and detention caused by documents arriving late, storage after free days, and inspection or re-classification costs are charged at cost. We list them explicitly in the quote rather than burying them, because a DDP price that silently excludes them is not a price you can budget with.

  • Demurrage and detention caused by late or incorrect documents
  • Storage beyond the terminal free period
  • Physical inspection or reclassification by customs
  • Duties arising from a wrong NCM code supplied by the shipper

When DDP cannot be offered

DDP is not available for every cargo. Products that require an importer-held registration, quota or prior authorisation cannot be imported under someone else’s declaration — the registration belongs to your company, not to a forwarder. Restricted and dangerous goods, and anything needing a specific product registration before import, fall outside DDP.

  • Goods needing an importer-held registration or licence
  • Quota-limited products
  • Dangerous goods requiring dedicated handling approval
  • Cargo whose NCM classification is genuinely unresolved

DDP versus DAP versus FOB

The three terms differ in where your responsibility stops. FOB means you take over at the Chinese port and arrange everything after that. DAP means the seller delivers to your address but you remain the importer and pay duty and IVA on arrival. DDP moves the whole chain — including the tax — into one price. The right choice depends on whether you have an import registration and a broker you already work with.

  • FOB — cheapest headline, you handle freight, clearance and taxes
  • DAP — delivered to your door, but you are still the importer
  • DDP — one all-in price, tax included, no paperwork for you

DDP scope at a glance

Cost componentIncluded in DDPNotes
Freight (sea or air)YesMode chosen to match your deadline
Export clearance in ChinaYesFiled at origin
Argentine import declarationYesFiled by a licensed despachante
Customs duty (NCM)Yes0-35% depending on classification
IVAYes21% on the taxable base
Statistical taxYes3%
Inland deliveryYesTo the address on the quote
Demurrage / storage / inspectionNoCharged at cost, listed in the quote

DDP Shipping: frequently asked questions

Does DDP mean you are the importer of record?

Not automatically, and any provider that claims otherwise is glossing over the point. The importer of record is whoever is named on the import declaration. DDP is a commercial term about who pays and who arranges, not a transfer of legal status. We state clearly, per shipment, who is named as importer before you book.

Is DDP more expensive than doing it myself?

DDP usually carries a margin for the paperwork and the tax float, so the headline is higher than FOB plus your own broker. It is cheaper in practice when you count the internal time, the risk of a mis-declared NCM and the working capital tied up in duties you would otherwise pay on arrival.

Can everything be shipped DDP?

No. Goods that need an importer-held registration, quota or prior authorisation cannot be imported on someone else’s declaration. Restricted and dangerous goods, and products needing a pre-import registration, sit outside DDP. We tell you before quoting rather than after the cargo sails.

What happens if customs reclassifies my goods?

Reclassification changes the duty rate and is charged at cost, because the classification was not fixed when the quote was issued. That is why we ask for the NCM code and a product description up front: a correct classification at booking is the only reliable way to keep the DDP price fixed.

How long does DDP door-to-door take?

Sea DDP runs 35-58 days door to door depending on the origin port and destination; air DDP runs about 8-11 days. DDP changes who handles the process, not how long the ship takes.

Contact

Contact Us

DEDICATED
China–Argentina
Trade Lane

Phone

86 15356024385

Email

info@argentina-shipping.com

Address

17 Floor, Hualian Building, No.55 Dongdu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

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